FG Shuts 22 Illegal Colleges of Education

The Federal Government has closed down 22 illegal Colleges of Education operating across Nigeria as part of efforts to sanitise the country’s education sector.

This was revealed in the latest report of achievements released by the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE). According to the commission, the illegal institutions were uncovered during a nationwide crackdown on unapproved schools offering education programmes without government accreditation.

“The NCCE identified and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education across the country. The commission also conducted personnel audits and financial monitoring in all 21 federal colleges of education,” the report stated.

The move follows President Bola Tinubu’s directive to federal education agencies to intensify action against illegal higher institutions. Speaking at the 14th convocation ceremony of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in Abuja, the President—represented by the Director of University Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Rakiya Ilyasu—warned that “certificate millers” were undermining the credibility of Nigeria’s education system.

“At this juncture, it has become imperative to reiterate that this administration remains committed to strengthening the integration of all agencies involved in the administration of education to enhance efficiency and quality,” he said.

Tinubu added that the Federal Government was working with relevant agencies to ensure the credibility of certificates issued in Nigeria.

“The National Youth Service Corps, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education, and the National Commission for Colleges of Education are working in alignment to improve the quality of education and ensure that cases of forgery and unrecognised institutions, both within and outside the country, have no place in our education ecosystem,” he said.